Page 4 - Paths to Change

legacy of students that challenge the status quo, question the information they are given, and value thought- provoking questions over white-washed answers. What is Inquiry-Based Study? An inquiry exploration begins with an issue, problem, question, or topic that provides an opportunity to create or produce something that contributes to the world’s knowledge. Commonly associated with the fields of history and science, inquiry-based study begins with a question upon which a thesis or hypothesis is built. This query is followed by the testing of said theories by gathering data and documents for analysis. The final phase is a synthesis of the information gathered, making connections between data and previously held information to draw conclusions and convey results that widen understanding for ourselves and others. BlackIQ’s provide students the freedom to do just that – cultivate curiosity, evaluate available information and, ultimately, deepen understanding of the world around them. What is a BlackIQ? A Black IQ is an inquiry-based text set that poses a thoughtful question and uses carefully curated sources to explore that question in order to create a basis for discourse that challenges the dominant narrative. BlackIQ explorations are similar in form to the document-based question (DBQ) essay question type used on Advanced Placement (AP) History exams. As a component of AP History courses, exposure to the DBQ question type has been disproportionately unavailable to Black students due to a lack of academic preparedness and stamina to maintain the rigor of such courses, as well as lack of availability is schools with large Black populations – both of which are a byproduct of the systemic racism that has plagued our country’s schools. Similar to the DBQ essay question, the BlackIQ poses a question, then asks students to answer that question in essay format using information from the provided text set as evidence to support their claims. Each text (comprised of informational, functional, literary, and visual texts) provides context and text-based questions that support student analysis so that they arrive at their own conclusions. In doing so, students are exposed to lesser-known voices and narratives that are instrumental in understanding the Black experience and the role of racism in America. While this style of questioning may be unfamiliar for many students, its benefits in creating a culture of thinking and reasoning within classrooms is unparalleled. The goal of this question style is to assess a student’s ability to develop a strong claim (or thesis), analyze rich sources for characteristics such as the creator’s point of view and purpose, the intended audience, and the context within which it was created. The ability to analyze The Black Inquiry Project 3